A Healthy Me Update

Can you believe we are a quarter of the way through 2014? Yikes! Time is speeding by, so it seemed like a good time to update you on how I was doing with eating right. The short answer is—not too shabby. 🙂

As I shared with you earlier this year, I’m finally getting healthy and committed to eating better and moving my body regularly. There have been some stumbles and successes. My biggest win is that I am much more conscious of my emotional eating tendencies. And boy howdy—I am ever an emotional eater!

Finding Positive Outlets for My Emotions

I never realized how quickly I turned to food whenever I felt upset, stressed or bored. The good news is that I am regularly catching myself before I dive into a bag of potato chips or a dish of Espresso Chocolate ice cream. Instead I try to figure out how to satisfy my emotions in a more constructive manner.

If I am bored, then I do something other than eat! Read a book, play with MaxE, watch a movie or go for a walk. If I’m feeling stressed or overwhelmed, I try to figure out how to lessen that stress. And then do something that makes relaxes me (besides of eating, of course!)

In fairness, I’m not perfect. 🙂 There are definitely times when I have satisfied that emotional eating urge. But I’m not letting little slip-ups derail me either. The Old Tanya would have used them as an excuse to quit, but not Courageous Tanya. Instead I am proud of how far I’ve come while recognizing my journey is just beginning.

Adjustments to My Eating Healthy Plan

Looking at my meals, they are probably still a little too carb heavy. They are getting better, and I’m definitely trying to balance them with veggies and non-carb meals, but I just LOVE carbs. Plus they are cheap eats, which makes them very budget friendly. Almost too friendly, ya know!

Even better, I have definitely lost weight, although I have no idea how much; I don’t have a scale. So I’m judging by how my clothes fit, which feels a bit more accurate anyway. And guess what? The pants are looser and my “fat” pants are humongous on me. In all honesty, those pants were already too big but now they fall off me. YIPEE! And pants that were a little too tight to wear without feeling like I was going to be cut in half are now wearable.

Getting Ready to Add Exercise to the Mix

This definitely keeps me motivated to keep going. To continue balancing my meals and to start exercising more regularly. Right now, I’m just trying to talk walks every day by running errands to the grocery store. Yup, instead of buying everything in one haul, I walk almost every day to Vons and pick up a needed item or two. Some of you probably think I’m crazy, but I can talk myself out of exercising so easily. Since I need the grocery item, I have to go to the store. Plus, it’s actually a nice mid-day break for me too.

However, I do know that I have to create a more formal and robust plan, especially adding in some strength exercises. But at least I’m moving and seeing such positive results already is good motivation to start exercising more religiously. I know exercise will have a huge impact.

So for those of you who made a resolution to get healthy this year. How are you doing?

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By day, Tanya helps her clients create meaningful connections with their target audience through her modern and elegant website designs. Utilizing her passion for the written word, she crafts entertaining and informative articles on finance, food and health and beauty as a freelance writer. By night, she is a blogger, consumer of too much TV and an overindulgent Cat Mama to Max. To be fair, she spoils Max 24/7.

Thanks, Sicorra! It’s been exciting to wear clothes that I haven’t been able to wear. I still have a long way to go to get to the size I want to be but I’m heading in the right direction and that’s what matters. Plus, I am feeling really encouraged that I can do it too!

Walking is definitely my preferred exercise mode. I am just not a runner. 🙂 I do like to swim and my apartment has a pool. I need to get a swimsuit so I can add that to the mix as it’s great exercise. And I won’t tell Max about killing birdies. LOL!

It’s true once you start walking (or even most forms of exercise) you get that high and enjoy it. I really enjoy walking along the beach and need to do it more. I like to walk along the edge, right next to the water. When I used to live in suburbs, I loved walking the neighborhoods and seeing all the different houses. When I lived in Minneapolis, there was a trail close to my home that I loved walking, especially in the Spring. The lilac bushes also smelled so good. Happy Wednesday to you too!

Wow Tanya, it sounds like you are doing great! I can say first hand how hard it is to switch the normal easy meals over to “healthy” meals. I’ve been working on this as well. It takes longer to prepare many of the meals – but it is SO rewarding when it is all finished and you know exactly what is going into your body. My slow cooker has became my best friend in the healthy eating process. I won’t lie – I’ve had many slip ups as well. Last week, I made a healthy homemade (some time consuming) meal every single night. This week, I’ve made all super easy stuff for a break. But, the way I see it, even with the slip ups – we’re doing better than we were before we started, right?! 🙂 By the way, I love the walking idea. It’s so nice to get out in the fresh air. Not only does it provide excellent exercise – it makes for a fantastic mood too! I hope your having a happy hump day!

Thanks, Stephanie! I still have a long way to go, but I am feeling better and better about my ability to achieve my goal and finally get healthy. It’s amazing how what you affects you. I had been leaning too hard on processed food and my body felt so different after I ate a salad. Now I make sure fresh fruits and veggies are eaten every day.

When I used “diet” before, I set unrealistic expectations and it never worked. This time I am being kinder. I still eat something sweet every day. and chose not banish carbs. I try to watch my portion sizes and balance my meals, which admittedly they weren’t before. My walking system right now works for me. I love taking the break to walk to the store and enjoy the fresh air. I also find that I am much more productive after the little break too. Now working out, I still fuss and look for excuses not to do it. Someday, I’ll get there!

YAY, I’m so happy to hear that you’ve been eating healthier and that your clothes are feeling looser!! That’s a great idea about having to walk to the store in order to get your grocery item, because I agree these incremental changes add up to a lot! Really looking forward to see what you accomplish in Q2, it sounds like you’re off to an amazing start!! 🙂

Thanks, Anna! I appreciate your support! Yes, incremental changes do make a difference. We all like to see big positive changes and I definitely want to ramp up my exercise. But right now, going slow and embracing my new changes will help them stick. I’m hoping next quarter that I will have started an exercise program and be down a pants size. Right now they are roomier and some pants that didn’t fit before do, but I’m not down a full pants size yet. But it’s getting closer!

Yay, Tanya!!! I had no doubt that you could get it done here, and you’re doing so awesome!! I love that you’re making several trips to the store a week too – sounds like a smart idea as you’ve built exercise into your schedule and fooled your mind into thinking you’re just going to the store – good job!! I am doing fairly well too. Have lost some; not sure how much as I don’t own a scale either. Clothes are definitely looser, but not loose enough. One day at a time. 🙂

I hear you – Laurie! As excited as I am by roomier pants,, I want them roomier! LOL! Yes, it was rather brilliant of me to trick my brain into viewing going to store as not exercise. 😉 I try to go to the furthest store, which is about a 1 mile roundtrip, and walk at a fast pace. Of course, I have to deal with stoplights and such but it gets me moving! Congratulations to you too on roomier pants. It’s so motivating. And I remember winter was always tough on me because it’s too cold to do anything. I have never been a big fan of gyms, so I tend to avoid them. But I loved walking outdoors, especially in Fall in Minnesota. So pretty!

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Once Upon a Time ...
A girl adopted a feline (or vice versa), and they soon discovered their shared love of food and fun made them the purrfect duo. Tanya loves Max and flip-flops. Max loves his Mama and birdies. He not so secretly hopes to have his very own pet birdie named Yum Yum some day. Mama not so secretly hopes that day never happens.